


Fallout

by zephyras13



Series: Exiles [9]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Depression, Drabble Collection, F/M, Powerlessness, Present Tense, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-17
Updated: 2012-03-17
Packaged: 2017-11-02 02:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/363933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephyras13/pseuds/zephyras13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which no one has any idea what is going on and Ichigo is running out of time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fallout

"...and then this boy, he could not have been more than thirteen years old, showed up and somehow opened some alternate dimension that allowed he and the girl to escape." Rukia continues in the hospital waiting room, fingers clenched in the fabric of her dress as they wait to hear the prognosis.

"Alternate dimension?" Sado says in surprise. "Like the Arrancar's Garganta?"

"No, it was different. The boy had some sort of tool in his hand to control it," Rukia says, glancing worriedly at the door of Ichigo's room. "Do you think something is wrong?"

"He's had much worse than this," Ishida reminds her, adjusting his glasses. "You said you thought they were human?"

"Yes, I am sure of it," Rukia replies. "The girl...he called her 'Riruka' and I think his name might have been 'Yuki.'"

"What could they want with Ichigo?" Sado mutters and Ishida sighs, leaning against the back of his chair.

"She seemed quite adamant that she only wanted to 'borrow' him, not kill him," Rukia says, glancing at Ichigo's door again. "And I have no doubt she could have killed him if that was her objective, she completely blindsided me."

"It figures that Kurosaki manages to get into trouble even when he doesn't have po-" Ishida starts, but is cut off by the buzz of his cell phone.

"Inoue-san can't be here until tomorrow," he says, reading the text and then returning his phone to his pocket. "She was visiting relatives in Kobe."

"Why will they not allow us to see him?" Rukia frowns, barely listening. "I do not understand the point of this "family only" rule."

"He's not even conscious yet, Kuchiki-san," Ishida says, as if this is a valid reason for foolish human hospital policy and Rukia scowls.

The staff refuse to let Rukia in Ichigo's room no matter how many blatant lies she makes up, so she's forced to sneak in later that night.

"Oh, my _God_ ," Ichigo says weakly when she climbs in through the window. "Please tell me this is some drug-induced hallucination."

"Do you often have drug-induced hallucinations about me?" Rukia responds automatically, sliding into the chair next to his bedside.

Ichigo is pale, but he's sitting up, despite the fact that he must have had a large amount of stitches put in. But it's the defeated look in his eyes that worries Rukia the most and she knows she made the right decision by coming here.

"Bitch," Ichigo says in annoyance, glaring at her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Keeping you from doing something stupid," Rukia says seriously, crossing her arms over her chest and Ichigo looks away.

"Well," he says gruffly after a moment of awkward silence, still not looking at her. "What happened?"

Rukia tells him, omitting the part about her discovery of the Soul Society camera. She hasn't told anyone about that yet and she's not sure she's going to until she's thought it through. She's always known, of course, that eventually she would have to deal with the Soul Society, but she hadn't thought it would be so soon.

And there are so many questions. Who were they watching? Her or Ichigo? And how long have they been watching? A day? A week? A month? A year? Since Aizen's defeat? _Before_ Aizen's defeat? What do they know, and more importantly, what will they do now? She has no answers, but she knows telling Ichigo will only make things worse. He's already been brought to his knees today by forces he cannot control. He does not need another reminder of how helpless he is.

"So you have absolutely no idea who they were?" Ichigo says, scowling. "Great. Just great."

"I am more bothered by their objective," Rukia says meaningfully, eyeing Ichigo for his reaction.

Ichigo exhales loudly and then winces, hand coming to touch the front of his light blue hospital gown gingerly.

"It doesn't make any sense," he grumbles, but there's more of the increasingly-present blankness in his brown eyes than Rukia has ever wanted to see. "Why would they be interested in me, I'm...whatever."

"Obviously both of them had a high reiatsu level," Rukia says quickly, trying to distract him from the inevitable sourness. "They each carried an object that might be like a zanpakutou. I will have to ask Urahara-sama if he knows anything."

Ichigo rolls his eyes predictably. "Will you stop calling him that?"

Rukia ignores him, but does not leave. She stays with him through the night, resulting is some nostalgic antics to hide her presence from the hospital staff, and when she wakes with her head pillowed on the side of Ichigo's hospital bed to the disapproval of an irate nurse she is not particularly surprised.

" _You_ are not supposed to be here," she lectures and Rukia regrets not ditching her gigai before coming here, even though it would mean the apartment would be rubble by the time she returned. "Hospitals have rules for a reason, young lady and there's no excuse fo-"

"What the hell?" Ichigo groans, rubbing his eyes sleepily and looking between her and the nurse in confusion. "Uh..."

"And now you've woken my patient up," the nurse says in annoyance, though clearly Rukia had done nothing of the sort. "You need to leave, right this insta-"

"What, no, it's fine," Ichigo says, sitting up with a yawn. "I don't mind if she stays."

"Unfortunately, you do not make the rules here, Kurosaki-san," the nurse says acidly, folding her arms over her uniform. "Your girlfriend cannot spend the night here. It simply isn't proper."

"Uh, I am not actually his-" Rukia starts, startled by this assumption.

"My _what_?" Ichigo yelps, in the manner of a person reacting to the accusation of heinous crimes.

The nurse is not amused.

Fortunately, soon after Rukia is hustled out of the room, Inoue arrives and heals Ichigo's wounds while the nurse continues to lecture Rukia in the hallway about not letting delinquent young men take advantage of her while she, Sado, Arisawa, and Ishida desperately try to keep straight faces. The irony of this does not escape her.

"Thanks again, Inoue," Ichigo says, after they've all escaped from the hospital, rotating his shoulder backwards experimentally. "Sorry for messing up your trip."

"Oh, no, it's totally okay!" Inoue says quickly, smiling brightly. "I'll be glad to eat my own food again. My aunt's great, but her cooking is a little strange."

There is a long pause in which everyone besides Inoue tries to imagine such a situation.

"...right," Arisawa says, clearly trying to keep from laughing. "What was up with that nurse, Ichigo? She seemed totally crazy."

"You think I have a clue?" Ichigo says, rolling his eyes. "And don't get me started; she thought that Rukia was my _girlfriend_."

"Why do humans always think that?" Rukia asks, honestly puzzled. "I keep telling you, Ichigo, your modern culture is so oversexed."

 _"Please_ stop saying that," Ichigo groans bad-temperedly. "Just because you read it in a book somewhere doesn't make it tr-what?"

Their friends have stopped in their tracks, a mixture of resignation and amusement on their faces.

"You really..." Ishida starts and then rolls his eyes.

"I give up," Arisawa says throwing her hands in the air. "I really do."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo frowns, looking just as confused as Rukia feels.

"Nothing," Sado replies, looking deeply amused. "So, Inoue, how was Kobe?"

"It was very hot!" Inoue says, but she looks guilty for some reason Rukia cannot make out. "I went all the way to the top of the Kobe Port Tower and the view was spectacular! I wanted to go to the zoo to see the panda, but I ran out of time and then..."

Rukia zones out as Inoue continues to chatter about her experiences in a city Rukia has never been to and focuses on the horrible numbness in Ichigo's eyes.

 _"Two more weeks, Ichigo,"_ she thinks tightening her hold on the sword hidden in her tote bag. _"Two more weeks and you will not have to be powerless any longer."_

Ichigo makes an outraged face as Inoue describes the rude behavior her cousins exhibit towards her, but the expression doesn't reach his eyes.

 _"You had better be right about this, Urahara_ ," Rukia thinks darkly and then turns her attention back to Inoue's story.

**Author's Note:**

> Moar angst! I'm sure you're all very surprised. And wow, the previous part was popular! Thanks for your support, everyone. Next week will be a flashback, so please review!


End file.
